This story is written for the Movie Fest of the Strictly Dramione Facebook page. If you are a fan of Dramione, the Strictly Dramione page is the place to be! Go check it out.

I want to thank my lovely Beta and cheerleader Filisgare. She inspired me, motivated me, and kept me writing. Many, many thanks.

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling, all things Tangled to Disney.

"Let's go to the souk next," he said. "We'll visit the gardens later today, or perhaps tomorrow."

They walked through the streets, hand in hand, until a buzzing sound reached Hermione's ears. It soon grew louder, sounding like a lot of voices talking and shouting.

"What's that?" she asked, tilting her head to try and figure out where the sound was coming from.

"The general hub of the souk," Draco answered. "It's always busy there. You could call it a market, but that doesn't do it justice. It will be busy, just like the Nishiki market in Kyoto, but worse."

"Even worse?" How can it be worse than that?

"Yes, definitely. Just try to ignore the noise and you'll be fine."

They rounded a corner and Hermione looked at what was the most confusing sight she had ever beheld. Under covered streets, shops displayed an impressive amount of trinkets, fabrics and foods. Scarves were displayed next to lamps and mirrors, tapestries were rolled out and on top of each other or hanging from the ceiling. There were statues, paintings and plates, stalled next to a massive amount of shoes hanging from wooden displays. Bags of spices and dried fruits faced a glass case filled with golden jewellery. From further within, she could hear animals adding to the general racket that was the market.

Shopkeepers were sitting in front of their shops, either on the ground or in chairs. Some were debating with customers, gesturing dramatically. People were milling about, their colourful clothing only adding to the confusion. The noise was deafening, but seemed to fit within the whirlwind of impressions.

"Are you alright?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I am. It's a tad bit overwhelming…"

"Now that's an understatement," Draco laughed. "Are you ready to go explore?"

She beamed at him. "Yes!"

Draco held a tight grip on her hand as she dashed into the throng of people. She couldn't believe the diversity of items present at the souk, and she was determined to study them all. When she reached out to skim her fingers over the wooden artwork around a mirror, Draco quickly covered her hand and pulled it back.

"Don't touch anything, these people tend to be shrewd and claim that touching it is the same as buying it."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"No, but it is how they think."

She shrugged and moved on. For a long time, she simply stared at the tapestries, trying to follow the designs with her eyes, wondering how anybody could weave such a thing without mistakes. The shapes and colours of the lamps and incense burners made her smile. She wondered what types of shadows they would cast. Eventually, she ended up at a jewellery store. Heavy necklaces were displayed next to endless rows of bracelets. Rings were placed in holders, while earring hung from small racks.

"See something you like?" Draco slid up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"They're all so pretty," she answered.

"Which one do you like the most?"

That's an impossible question. Look at how many there are! She studied the display before her, until her eyes fell on a bracelet that reminded her of the forest. The links looked like little branches, tiny leaves and golden pearls randomly scattered around them. It made her think of mistletoe.

"That one," she said, pointing out the bracelet.

"Then it is yours."

"What?"

He kissed the side of her head. "It is yours."

"But, Draco, it's expensive, I can't repay you."

He gently caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her head so he could look her in the eye. "Princess, what did I tell you about me and money?"

"That you have more of it than you can spend."

"Exactly. So I'm going to buy you this bracelet, it suits your spirit. Allow me to spend my money on you, princess."

Hermione got momentarily distracted as his thumb caressed her lower lip. Dazed, she simply nodded, earning her a smile.

"See, that wasn't so difficult, now was it?"

He kissed the top of her head and turned towards the shop owner, who was standing at a discreet distance. Translation spells were cast and they began arguing back and forth. As their hassling continued, Hermione gently touched her lips. Why does it tingle? I want him to do that again.

Her musings were interrupted with Draco's return. He gently took her hand and flattened it against his chest, allowing him to wrap the bracelet around her wrist.

She turned her wrist left and right, staring at the jewellery in awe. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Yes, yes you are."

Hermione glanced up at him and then quickly looked away, blushing. "You think I'm beautiful?" He thinks I'm beautiful! She didn't really know what to do with that information, but it pleased her immensely.

"Yes Princess, I do." He once more grabbed her hand. "Come on, there's lots more to see."

With a goofy grin on her face, she let him pull her through the crowd. She could see light at the end of the street and the sound of animals was steadily getting louder. Hermione stopped as they came upon a large allotment filled with all sorts of animals.

There were those she knew, like sheep, goats, chickens and a few camels and horses, but there were creatures there she had never seen before. She nearly jumped in surprise when one of the horses spread out its wings. There were tiny blue creatures fluttering in a cage and she blinked when a monkey-like creature suddenly vanished from sight.

Right in front of her, she spotted a cute-looking creature that mostly resembled a mole. It was looking at her intently. Smiling, she reached out to it.

"What's that?"

Draco quickly grabbed her hand, pulling it back. "A niffler," he said.

"Is it dangerous?" Hermione asked, surprised by his behaviour. It didn't look dangerous at all.

He smiled. "Not at all, but they're used to dig up gold and jewels. Anything shiny, really. Your bracelet would have been gone before you knew it."

She cradled her wrist against her chest. "It would steal my bracelet?"

"Most definitely."

That moment, a magnificent red and golden bird flew into the sook and landed on a perch. Hermione could hear Draco suck in a breath.

"He can't be selling a Phoenix!" he muttered under his breath before turning towards the shop owner and casting the translator spell.

"A what?" Hermione questioned, mesmerized by the bird.

When Draco didn't answer, she shrugged and stepped closer to the bird. It looked at her with oddly knowing eyes. She didn't doubt the animal was intelligent.

"Hello there," Hermione greeted, reaching out. It answered with a thrill. "Aren't you pretty. Do you have a name?"

"Don't touch him! He'll-"

Hermione ignored the unfamiliar voice as her fingers reached the feathers on the bird's chest. It let out a chiming sound and ruffled its feathers a bit. When Hermione lowered her hand, the bird deftly stepped on her wrist, before climbing up to her shoulder and nuzzling its beak in her hair.

"I think he likes me!" she beamed at Draco. "What?"

Both Draco and the shop owner were staring at her, dumbfounded.

"That's a Phoenix, Princess. Extremely rare creatures, rumoured to be immortal. This one, apparently, showed up about a year ago and refuses to be petted by anyone. It pecks at anyone who comes too close. It's of the domesticated kind, but is currently owned by no-one."

"Nobody wants to buy him?" She reached up to once more pet his feathers.

"You don't buy a Phoenix, the Phoenix chooses you."

"Oh."

The bird let out another thrilling sound, before lightly nipping at her ear and returning to its perch.

"I guess that means he hasn't picked me?" Hermione asked.

Draco turned to the shop owner, who shook his head.

"No, he hasn't."

She shrugged. "You'll find your new owner soon, I'm sure of it," Hermione said, smiling up at the bird. It cocked its head at her.

Draco shook his head. "Let's head towards the gardens, before one of these animals does adopt you."

Waving at the Phoenix in goodbye, Hermione followed him out of the sook and through the small alleyways that made up the city. She wondered how he managed to navigate without getting lost, but figured there was some form of magic involved. Having magic sure is easy.

Finally, they arrived at a relatively low wall with a highly decorated, iron cast gate. Draco grinned at her before flattening his hand against the gate, willing it to open. They stepped into what seemed to be a small courtyard. Gallery's provided shade on all four sizes, a small pond with a fountain creating the tinkling noise of falling water. An archway on the other side lead into the actual garden.

Curious, she skipped around the fountain towards the archway. She gasped as she stepped through it. The garden was by far the most exquisite she had ever seen. Even the ones at Kyoto paled in comparison. It wasn't lush and overflowing with plants, they were in the middle of the desert after all, but there was something about the sparse use of plants and the symmetry in it that caught Hermione's attention.

Looking around, she tried to grasp what it was that made the gardens so special. Tall palm trees lined the wide path, which had a stone gully in the middle, clear water running through it. The path lead to a small gazebo with yet another fountain, plants hanging from the roof and creating a curtain around it.

Cactuses and other, sturdy looking plants, formed a rocky landscape behind the structure, while rough grasses and low bushes spread to the left and the right. The path and the gully split to the left and the right, while a different path behind the gazebo led into the rock garden. Hermione stopped her awed walking as the hanging plants started moving, without there being a breeze.

"Did those just- ?"

"Did you think only the people and the creatures here were magical, princess?" Draco teased her.

Putting a hand in the small of her back, he started guiding her through the vast gardens. Hermione was fascinated by the magical plants they encountered, barraging Draco with questions.

"Those aren't magical!" she said more than once. "My aunt brought its dried leaves with her all the time, for the medicines."

Draco would shake his head at her words. She could sense he wanted to argue, but let it be for her sake. Hermione was starting to become confused. Especially when one of those 'not magical' plants her aunt brought with her also started moving on its own.

"Are you tired?" Draco eventually asked.

She nodded at him, happy to have an excuse to go to the hotel and try to figure it all out. She never heard about magic until Draco came along. That wasn't something Aunt Ellis would keep from her, was it?

The rest of the day passed by uneventful. Her confusion troubled Hermione the entire evening, and she caught Draco casting worried glances at her on multiple occasions. Yet, he remained silent. She didn't know what to think of that either, nor what to think about her feelings towards him. Was it normal to feel like that? Or was there something wrong with her?

He walked past her and she took a deep breath, loving his clean scent after his shower. There is most definitely something wrong with me. Peering over the rim of her book, she watched him drying his hair, wearing comfortable trousers and a shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and she could see the muscles in his arms move as he towelled his hair. She loved it when those arms were wrapped around her. Yes, I've gone completely bonkers.

Draco turned around to carelessly toss the towel on the bed. Only the second to last button of his shirt was closed, revealing his pale, well-muscled chest. Hermione drew in a sharp breath.

"You ok?"

She quickly looked up to him. "Yes, yes, I'm fine," she quickly answered, before burying her nose back in her book, trying to hide her blush.

"Are you sure?"

He was crawling onto the bed to sit next to her. Hermione could feel herself getting even more flustered.

"Yes, I'm sure. Just- I guess I'm a bit overwhelmed. There was a lot to see today."

He plonked down next to her, his shirt still wide open. Do not touch him. Do not reach out to touch him. Why do I even want to touch him? Her eyes widened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and casually pulled her against him.

"There was, wasn't there? But did you enjoy yourself?"

"Y- Ye- Yes," she stammered. Her book was all but forgotten, resting on her legs, her thumb in between the pages, keeping track of where she stopped reading. She could feel the warmth of his body seeping into her. Tentatively, she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. He really does smell good.

Yawning, she instinctively curled herself against him. Carefully, Draco picked up the forgotten book, bookmarking the page and putting it aside. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her a bit closer. In reaction, Hermione put her hand against his chest, steadying himself. Strong…

"Go to sleep, Princess. Tomorrow we will visit your favourite place, the library."

"Okay…"

She breathed in more of his smell, relaxing and feeling safe. It wasn't long before she was sound asleep, her worries forgotten.

xXxXxXx

The next morning, Hermione was still curled around Draco when she woke. They were no longer leaning against the headboard but stretched out on the mattress. Her head was resting comfortably on his shoulder. Draco's arm was wrapped around her, his hand on her waist, while the other rested on the knee of the leg she had swung over his hips. He was snoring softly.

Hermione blinked and smiled. She felt fully rested, but was disinclined to even move a finger. She felt perfectly at ease, nestled against Draco's hard, yet comfortable body. For the next half hour, she flitted in and out of sleep, counting Draco's breaths and listening to his heartbeat.

When his arm flexed around her, Hermione stiffened, unsure about how he would react. She remembered all the 'walls' he built in their previous hotel rooms.

"Good morning, Princess."

"Hi." He doesn't mind?

"Sleep well?"

She looked up at him to see his eyes were still closed. "Yes," she answered, putting her head back on his shoulder.

"I'm surprised you're still in bed. I would have thought you would be bouncing around a soon as you woke up?"

"Why?" she murmured.

"We're going to the library, remember?"

Hermione shot up. "Yes! Yes we are, aren't we?" How could I forget? She gave Draco a playful shove before jumping out of bed. "Come on! We're going to see the library!"

He laughed and rested himself on his elbows. Hermione noticed he was still wearing his shirt. Looking down at herself, she scowled.

"My clothes are all wrinkled. I slept in them."

"That's what has you scowling? Don't worry, princess, magic, remember? Go take a shower and shove them out the door. I'll sanitise them and get them wrinkle-free."

They got ready and took a quick breakfast at the hotel, before once more venturing out into the city. Hermione was practically skipping as they headed towards the immense tower. It was a lot farther away than it seemed.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost, princess, almost."

They turned another corner and came upon a wide lane, flanked by palm trees. It lead right up to the massive archway that was the entrance to the tower. Just like the main gates of the city, two sentries stood watch. Two others were walking from one side of the gate to the other. They barred the way as Draco and Hermione tried to enter.

Draco gave a small bow. "We come to visit the library. We seek knowledge, not power. We treasure and do not destroy. Will you grant us access?"

Hermione watched with wide eyes as one of the sentries pulled out his wand and aimed it at Draco. She took a step towards him.

"It's custom, they're just checking us for forbidden objects," Draco softly said.

She nodded and stood still as the sentry cast his spells. Eventually, they stepped aside, speaking in his native language.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked.

"You are allowed entry. You are bound to preserve and protect. Knowledge is power and power is dreadful. Be careful of what you will find."

She gave him a questioning look.

"They are ritual words, but they hold a lot of meaning," Draco explained. "Many have feared the knowledge hidden within these walls and have subsequently tried to destroy it. Any act of destruction is now cause for a life sentence. That's what the first part means. The second part warns you about getting lost within the library, both physically and mentally. Plenty have come out of this place thinking they knew how to rule the world. They used the power they gained from the knowledge and caused mayhem in the world. Others found truths they couldn't live with, going mad because of them. Some simply never emerged again, living their entire lives within those walls."

Hermione stared at him in awe. "You wouldn't think a library to be dangerous," she said.

"No, you wouldn't," Draco answered.

They walked forward and into the main hall of the library, Hermione having a slightly frightened look on her face.

"Don't worry, princess," he reassured her, "I won't let you get lost. Not in the library, nor in your mind."

She beamed up at him and watched his face soften as he looked back. Yes, she trusted him to keep her safe. She believed he would pick her up and carry her out if she refused to leave the books behind. It was oddly reassuring.

"Let me go see if there are tours of the tower available," he said, slowing to a stop. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Hermione watched as he walked up to a wizard behind a long reception desk on the right side of the massive hall. When they started talking, she let her eyes roam the room. The first thing she noted was that the light coming fire scones on the walls had an off colour. She couldn't quite define what was wrong with it, but it definitely wasn't normal fire. Shrugging, she guessed it was probably protected with magic.

The wall opposite to her was slightly curved, and probably part of a much larger circle. A grand, wooden staircase stood against it, following the curve of the wall and mounting to the left. At the bottom of the staircase were two doors, one straight ahead and one to the right.

The same sandstone she had seen throughout the city made up the walls of the tower. To her surprise, however, the ceiling was made out of wood. Massive beams going from the outer wall to the inner wall supported it. Hermione vaguely wondered where all the wood had come from, with the tower being in the middle of the desert. Perhaps a desert was created by building the tower?

Looking down, she noted that the floor was also made of the same stone, interchanged with a slightly darker type of stone. It took Hermione a while to figure out that the stones formed a pattern. Tilting her head from right to left, she let out a gasp as she realised she was looking at a massive Tree of Wisdom.

She shook her head at the discovery and returned to looking around the hall, eager to find more hidden treasures. Draco was still talking to the man at the dark, wooden reception desk. She smiled in his direction. Hopefully tours are available today.

Turning her head to the left, she let out a small squeal when she noted that the entire left wall was covered with books. Sturdy and rather uncomfortable looking chairs and benches were arranged in front of them, several writing desks positioned in the corner. One of them was currently occupied, it's occupant furiously scribbling away, presumably copying text from the tome that was opened in front of him.

Unable to resist, she patted over to the bookcases. Her brow furrowed as she read the titles . There seemed to be no order to them at all! 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was standing next to Thomas More's 'Utopia'. A bit further down the line, there was a transcript of 'The Legend of Innana' flanked by a collection of poems by Khalil Gibran. She encountered 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', 'The Count of Monte Christo', and 'The Iliad'. She didn't recognise any of the magic books that were mixed within the Muggle ones, but she saw titles like 'Curse of the Egyptians', 'Liquid spells', and 'Theories of elementary magic'.

Draco interrupted her exploring. "I see you found your way to the books," he teased.

She blushed prettily. "Oh, are there tours available? Please tell me there are tours available!"

"Yes," he answered, "yes there are. You know, we got, uhm, lucky, and we're getting the, uhm, extended tour today." He smiled brightly at her.

Hermione was practically jumping up and down in excitement, completely missing the hesitancy in his response. "Really? Yay!" Impulsively, she reached up and kissed him on the cheeks before grabbing his hand and pulling him back to the center of the room.

"Easy, princess," Draco laughed. "They've send for a guide, we have to wait until he gets here."

They waited for a couple of minutes, Hermione constantly shifting her weight while Draco smiled at her fondly, before the guide arrived. Without any further delay, he guided them to the benches near the wall of books and started his explanation.

"Officially, the library was built in the 3rd century B.C., however, this was merely a rebuild of a smaller, pre-existing library. The origins of the first library is currently still unknown. It is safe to say that this is the oldest library in existence."

"When Alexander the Great ordered the current library to be build, he was, obviously, inspired by the mythical Tower of Babylon. He wanted to build a true bastion of knowledge that reached for the skies. The setup of the tower is rather simple: The main structure consists of two circular towers, one build around the other."

He pointed to the outer and inner curved wall respectively.

"As you can see, the ceilings are made of wood, supported by wooden beams and magic. The lower five floors are fully covered and reserved for administrative purposes, living arrangements, kitchens, common rooms, and so on. Higher up, only the area's between the inner and outer wall have floors, the inner tower remaining open for air circulation and light."

"The stairs you see," again he pointed to the inner wall, "follows the curve off the wall all the way to the seventh floor, where the main library can be accessed. There are some rooms underground with heavy climate regulating spells to preserve the oldest and most fragile books and scrolls. These are only accessible by the Masters."

"For our tour, we will first visit some of the main rooms of the lower levels, before entering the library itself. In the library, I will explain the cataloguing system, how we get from one point to the other, and we will shortly visit one of the restricted sections with some very old tomes. Any questions?"

Both Draco and Hermione shook their heads, the latter with an eager look in her eyes. Their guide, who had introduced himself as Damian, gave her an odd look before smiling at her enthusiasm.

"If you would follow me?"